Alien in the Family

“This is the ruling class of this planet?”
    Martini and I exchanged another look. “Not so much, no.”
    Neeraj spoke. “They are the protectors, not the rulers. It is why he,” he indicated Martini, “is so upset by the insinuations he is king.” He looked at me. “The Iguanodons will assist.”
    “You have a sense of humor in there after all?”
    “The one you call Chuckie explained yours to me. Where is he?”
    “Bringing stuff to help out,” Christopher said. He and Chuckie were dragging bags of devices.
    “Good choice on the Reptilians, Canus Majorians, and Feliniads,” Chuckie said quietly to Martini. He pointedly looked at Gregory.
    “I have the science team making more,” Christopher told Martini before he could respond to Chuckie. “We’ll have enough for every agent within fifteen minutes.”
    Felicia came closer to me. She walked just the way I expected a cat on its hind legs to walk, only a little smoother. “Arup and I will help. We understand how the assassin thinks.”
    “Because you think like her?”
    She gave me a fangy smile. “Because we have dissidents on our world, too. Arup and I are the Chief Inquisitors. And I chose that word purposely.”
    “Nice. So, you and Torquemada going to hurt my people along the way?”
    “Not if we can help it.”
    We were at the gates. I grabbed Gregory. “What’s your plan?” Chuckie dropped his bag and started to walk rapidly toward us.
    Gregory didn’t answer. Alexander spoke. “Their families are in what the assassin thinks is a palace. You’ve been given a chance to regain some honor, Brother. Answer the question. What do you plan?”
    Gregory pulled away from me as Martini shouted, “Stop him!”
    Chuckie lunged, but it was too late. Gregory was through the gate.

CHAPTER 35

    MARTINI CURSED. “YOU SAID to bring him along why?” he snarled at Alexander.
    “I tried to warn you,” Chuckie said.
    “Nice if you’d been clearer about it,” Martini snapped. “Or faster.”
    “No time for the alpha male fight right now, guys, please. We need to focus.” I grabbed Martini’s hand and pulled him through the gate. It sucked, but I was too frightened to care. We landed in a bathroom, but not at McCarran. I could tell—it was too nice. The hell with subterfuge. I walked out behind the rest of the A-Cs.
    Of course, women and men coming out of a bathroom might not cause a lot of stir, but walking dogs, cats, and lizards would. Martini had the same thought as me. “How can they help us if they get arrested for being aliens?” he asked as Willem exited the stall.
    “On it, Martini,” Chuckie said, as he came out. He tossed Willem a ring; Willem put it on, suddenly looked human.
    He nodded to us. “I will contact you if I find any I cannot defuse.”
    “How?”
    He grinned like a wolf. “We have ways.” Then he disappeared.
    Chuckie handed the rings to the other two Major Doggies, the bracelets to the Cat People, and the necklaces to the Giant Lizards. They all said they’d contact us and all disappeared. The Giant Lizards stayed together, the Cats and Dogs did not. Queen Renata shapeshifted and raced off as well, several A-Cs with her.
    “Okay,” Martini said. “I want everyone fanned out. We need to find the bombs, but we also need to evacuate in case we can’t. Reynolds, you need to get to the head of the place and tell them to get the people out.”
    “Jeff, this is Vegas—they won’t believe him until it’s too late. Besides, I have an easier way. Fire alarms.”
    “What?”
    Chuckie nodded. “She’s right. It won’t clear out everyone, but it’ll clear out a lot of them.”
    “Fine.” Martini grabbed the next several A-Cs who were coming through and told them to find every fire alarm and make it go off. The sounds started immediately.
    “We need to go through the hotel, especially THEhotel, where we’re all staying. It’s a good bet some of our team are still up there, and they might not leave.”
    “Who?” Christopher asked Martini.
    I wanted to say me, but I was the one who’d talked to Moira. “Alexander, can you take Chuckie and do that?”
    “Yes.”
    Chuckie nodded. “That’s fine. Has to be me, Martini, or White, or they won’t listen anyway.” He gave me a long look. “Hope they’re listening to me now, by the way.”
    “They will. Chuckie . . . my mom’s here, and both my grandmothers, and . . .” I couldn’t talk.
    He took my hand. “And Martini’s parents, and Gower’s. I